--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A story is about a single moment in a…" description: "\"“A story is about a single moment in a character's life when a definitive choice is made, after which nothing is the same.”\" — John L'Heureux" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png" --- # A story is about a single moment in a character's life… ![“A story is about a single moment in a character's life when a definitive choice is made, after which nothing is the same.” quote by John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png) > ““A story is about a single moment in a character's life when a definitive choice is made, after which nothing is the same.”” [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A pivotal decision defines a character's life, altering everything thereafter. **In simple terms:** A single choice changes everything. Key Takeaway Recognize and own decisive moments. Themes choice identity change Mood reflective serious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - personal decision-making - career turning points Key Concepts Narrative structure character development Questions to Reflect On - What decision have you avoided? - How does this view affect your sense of agency? A Different Perspective Choices may be irreversible and carry unforeseen consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Single moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-moment/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/a-short-story-must-have-a-single-mood-and-every-sentence-must-build/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“In writing short stories—as in writing novels—take one thing at a time. (For some writers, this advice I'm giving may apply best to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/in-writing-short-stories-as-in-writing-novels-take-one-thing-at-a/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) > [“I made many decisions, some awful and others brilliant, but I found ways to keep that openness in my soul that meant more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-troncoso/i-made-many-decisions-some-awful-and-others-brilliant-but-i-found/) [Sergio Troncoso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-troncoso/) > [I think I think in the moment. So when I'm in character, I'm in character, and I'm obviously thinking about what's going on around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-baron-cohen/i-think-i-think-in-the-moment-so-when-i-m-in-character-i-m-in/) [Sacha Baron Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-baron-cohen/) > [It's true that charisma can make a person stand out for a moment, but character sets a person apart for a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/it-s-true-that-charisma-can-make-a-person-stand-out-for-a-moment-but/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > ['Swimming Pool' was a very important moment for me because the character was written for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludivine-sagnier/swimming-pool-was-a-very-important-moment-for-me-because-the/) [Ludivine Sagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludivine-sagnier/) > [When you're playing a character, you don't really want to have an opinion about where you're going to end up. Otherwise, you can't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-lee-miller/when-you-re-playing-a-character-you-don-t-really-want-to-have-an/) [Jonny Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-lee-miller/) > [When I'm on stage, I love the moment... After that, I go out of character and I'm back to being a regular human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-homie-quan/when-i-m-on-stage-i-love-the-moment-after-that-i-go-out-of-character/) [Rich Homie Quan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-homie-quan/) > [For me it's more fun to find an unexpected moment for a character to sing when you don't expect them to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/for-me-it-s-more-fun-to-find-an-unexpected-moment-for-a-character-to/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [Reputation is made in a moment. Character is built in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/reputation-is-made-in-a-moment-character-is-built-in-a-lifetime/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Tis not important how the hero does this or this, but what he is. What he is will appear in every gesture and syllable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/tis-not-important-how-the-hero-does-this-or-this-but-what-he-is-what/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“It's a great moment when someone has character to step up and do the right thing at the right time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-knox/it-s-a-great-moment-when-someone-has-character-to-step-up-and-do-the/) Pam Knox > [Manners carry the world for the moment, character for all time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/manners-carry-the-world-for-the-moment-character-for-all-time/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I don't know how many times I can sit there and talk about my character or my life. It's interesting to talk about experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendie-malick/i-don-t-know-how-many-times-i-can-sit-there-and-talk-about-my/) [Wendie Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendie-malick/) > [“Character is the very life of fiction. Setting exists only so that the character has someplace to stand. Plot exists so the character can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gardner/character-is-the-very-life-of-fiction-setting-exists-only-so-that-the/) [John Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gardner/) ## More by John L'Heureux > [What a strange thing it is to recognize a sound like the shriek of a wounded animal, when you've never heard the shriek of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/what-a-strange-thing-it-is-to-recognize-a-sound-like-the-shriek-of-a/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Our salvation never comes in the form we would have chosen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/our-salvation-never-comes-in-the-form-we-would-have-chosen/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Uninvited criticism is insult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/uninvited-criticism-is-insult/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [There's something about a parenthesis in fiction that puts one off, saying, "It's me, moi, jumping in now."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/there-s-something-about-a-parenthesis-in-fiction-that-puts-one-off/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [You must get beyond divertissement, sketch, anecdote, the interesting moment. You must get to the mystery of human personality. What is the line of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/you-must-get-beyond-divertissement-sketch-anecdote-the-interesting/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [“on the other hand, who would be a more dedicated gay-basher than a gay school board member? look at congress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/on-the-other-hand-who-would-be-a-more-dedicated-gay-basher-than-a-gay/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Obscenities are too often used for shock value, as a kind of shorthand for real expression of emotion. You've got to scale down your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/obscenities-are-too-often-used-for-shock-value-as-a-kind-of-shorthand/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Nothing on earth in fiction is less interesting than characters under the influence of alcohol.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/nothing-on-earth-in-fiction-is-less-interesting-than-characters-under/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Using language like jungle growth isn't the solution to telling a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/using-language-like-jungle-growth-isn-t-the-solution-to-telling-a/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Let good people sin. Give virtue to rotters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/let-good-people-sin-give-virtue-to-rotters/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [A short story is a writer's way of thinking through experience... Journalism aims at accuracy, but fiction's aim is truth. The writer distorts reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/a-short-story-is-a-writer-s-way-of-thinking-through-experience/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Plot does not simply move with time, but spreads out conceptually in metaphorical space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/plot-does-not-simply-move-with-time-but-spreads-out-conceptually-in/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) > [Sometimes, in that darkness, there is a single act of love, some selfless gesture, an aspiration, and we see that it's not been all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/sometimes-in-that-darkness-there-is-a-single-act-of-love-some/) [John L'Heureux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) [Explore all 14 John L'Heureux quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A story is about a single moment in a character's life when a definitive choice is made, after which nothing is the same.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John L'Heureux" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-character-s-life-when-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Choice" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-character-s-life-when-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ae/john-l-heureux-34282_choice_a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-ch_1430697.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A story is about a single moment in a character's life when a definitive choice is made, after which nothing…” — John L'Heureux", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John L'Heureux", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-heureux/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A story is about a single...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-character-s-life-when-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-heureux/a-story-is-about-a-single-moment-in-a-character-s-life-when-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```